Vivid Vision 2026-2028

Atlas Network 
VIVID VISION 2026-2028 
 
Why We Need This Document 
 
Organizations only succeed when there’s a shared understanding of what 
success looks like. If your team is guided by only a lofty mission statement, 
there can be too much room for conflicting interpretations. That is the key takeaway 
of a book called Vivid Vision by Cameron Herold. 
 
This document was given to Atlas Network team members in January 2026 to create 
alignment about what we will be achieving together by the end of 2028. It sits 
within a continuum of efforts that keep us methodically working toward an inspiring 
future in which we will be even prouder to be part of Atlas Network.   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
1  
 
 
Table of Contents 
 
 
1.​Executive Summary ​​​​​​​​ 3 
 
2.​Parts of Our Strategic Roadmap Set by Our Board of Directors​​ 4 
●​Mission 
●​Vision 
●​North Stars 
 
3.​Preamble to Our Vivid Vision​​​​​​​ 6  
●​The Opportunity for Atlas Network entering 2026 
●​This Moment in History  
●​Why Our Cause is Just and Why Our Model Works 
●​How We Accelerate Success within the Freedom Movement 
 
4.​What Atlas Network Will Look Like When Achieving Excellence         10 
in December 2028  
●​Programs (p. 10) 
○​Coach 
○​Compete 
○​Celebrate 
●​Advancement (p.14) 
○​Development 
○​Marcom 
●​Operations (p. 17) 
 
5.​Culture and Character ​​​​​​​        18 
●​A Learning Organization 
●​Zero-Based Budgeting 
●​Building on Existing Virtues  
 
 
2  
 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY  
 
Atlas Network is guided by five board-approved North Stars, which focus its mission 
to advance global prosperity by strengthening a network of independent, locally led 
organizations that promote individual freedom. The North Stars emphasize (1) 
demonstrating that Atlas Network’s localization approach represents the most 
effective philanthropic solution for advancing free society principles; (2) staying 
committed to the Coach, Compete, Celebrate® (CCC) strategy; (3) creating clarity in 
how the organization is understood by key audiences; (4) building a durable, 
mission-aligned donor base; and (5) being an example of operational excellence.   
 
This document provides a Vivid Vision of what success will look like at Atlas 
Network by December 2028 as we stay true to pursuing our North Stars. 
 
The first sections of the Vivid Vision emphasize that Atlas Network is at a stage that 
requires disciplined focus to scale what is working for achieving our mission. The 
document provides clarity on key concepts that should be familiar to team members:  
●​What we mean by “the free society” as the ideal we work to advance 
●​Why this moment in history is high-stakes   
●​Why our cause is just and why our model works 
●​How the CCC strategy accelerates success within the Freedom Movement 
 
Looking ahead, the last sections of the Vivid Vision describe what excellence will 
look like in 2028 across its three divisions – Programs, Advancement, and 
Operations.  
●​CCC programs operate as an integrated system that raises standards, 
incentivizes excellence, and accelerates partner progression.  
●​Advancement aligns development and marcom to grow financial resources 
and strengthen the brand.  
●​Operations enable high performance through scalable, disciplined systems.  
 
Underpinning all of this is a culture defined by learning, zero-based budgeting, and 
core values that include integrity, humility, and excellence. 
 
Together, these Vivid Vision elements provide a shared blueprint for how all the 
teams of Atlas Network together will contribute to achieving major impacts over the 
next three years. 
3  
 
SET BY OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS 
 
 
Mission 
 
Atlas Network increases global prosperity by strengthening a network of 
independent partner organizations that promote individual freedom and are 
committed to identifying and removing barriers to human flourishing. 
  
 
Vision 
 
We envision a free, prosperous, and peaceful world where the principles of individual 
liberty, property rights, limited government, and free markets are secured by the rule 
of law. 
 
 
Our North Stars, 2026-2030 
 
North Star #1: Atlas Network represents the most effective philanthropic solution for 
advancing the ideas and institutions of the free society. We leverage a global 
network of independent, locally led organizations for which Atlas Network is a 
supportive and energizing ally.    
North Star #2: Through its trademarked Coach, Compete, Celebrate
®
 model, Atlas 
Network accelerates the success of its independent partners by helping them 
discover and prove their entrepreneurial aptitude. Through their participation in 
Atlas Network’s strategic programs, they put into practice innovations that result in 
greater local impact, continuously raising standards for excellence across the 
network. 
  
North Star #3: Atlas Network’s role in the network is clear and inspiring to key 
audiences, reinforcing the insights of our model and bringing international 
recognition to the achievements of those who have successfully leveraged our 
investments in them.   
4  
 
North Star #4: Atlas Network attracts and retains the generous support of a 
mission-aligned and diverse set of nongovernmental funders. Over time, we ascend 
to be one of the top charitable priorities for many donors, thanks to their confidence 
in our business model and the optimism and joyful camaraderie they find in our 
community.  
  
North Star #5: Atlas Network exemplifies excellence by continuously improving 
governance and internal systems, exercising financial prudence, and fostering a 
culture that attracts and retains top talent.     
 
What we mean by “the free society” 
 
North Star #1 references “the free society” as the ideal we work to advance.  
 
We chose this formulation because most ideological labels are understood 
differently in different locations. As explained in our Vision statement, the free 
society exists where “
the principles of individual liberty, property rights, limited 
government, and free markets are secured by the rule of law.”  
 
People of goodwill can disagree about the best pathway toward a freer society in a 
particular country or community. Atlas Network takes a humble approach to this 
question; we defer to the judgment of our local partners, including those in the 
United States, to set strategic priorities according to their own assessments of the 
landscape of opportunities and threats as they see them. 
 
Of course, we are emphatic that all our partner organizations hold common values 
regarding the dignity of each individual, the presumption of liberty, and the 
superiority of voluntary solutions – as opposed to ones implemented via coercion – 
for most social problems. We do not partner with political or partisan organizations. 
We do not partner with groups that foment a ‘culture war’ that brings divisiveness 
inside our community. 
We prioritize partners that work in good faith, and with 
professionalism and civility, to popularize and implement the principles of the free 
society. 
 
5  
 
VIVID VISION PREAMBLE 
 
The Opportunity for Atlas Network Entering 2026 
 
Atlas Network has the opportunity to prove that our philanthropic model can be a 
driver of historic change.  
 
If we achieve that, Atlas Network will become a much bigger organization. We will 
be celebrated in major media outlets. We will have a significantly larger budget and 
a staff headcount that fills our headquarters on the 12th floor of 901 N Glebe Road.   
 
But let us be clear. We are not chasing a particular level of public recognition or a 
specific growth target.  
 
Those signifiers of success will come as a result of disciplined focus on our unique 
and specific role, supporting independent organizations that address challenges to 
liberty throughout the world.  
 
Indeed, if we sought media attention or a bigger budget as an end in itself, we might 
try being “too many things to too many people” and thus undermine our long-term 
value proposition. No. Our primary goal over 2026-2028 is to execute our 
philanthropic model, the  components of which should be very clear to existing and 
new audiences.  
 
Our pursuit of excellence in executing the fundamentals of our strategy, as explained 
in this Vivid Vision, is very likely to unlock success in other dimensions. After all, our 
philanthropic model is well suited to our times.  
 
This Moment in History  
 
Today, we recognize that the stakes are very high.  
 
The spread of free society values in the last quarter of the 20th century produced 
huge gains in peace and prosperity across the globe. But during the first quarter of 
the 21st century, the world witnessed expensive failures in government-led efforts at 
democracy building and economic development through foreign aid. The ideas we 
cherish became tarnished in the minds of many, because they were implemented via 
6  
 
top-down methods and sustained by institutions that came to be viewed as corrupt 
and out-of-touch.  
 
Those with an authoritarian mindset have seized the initiative. Freedom House 
calculates that, in every year since the mid-2000s, more nations have moved in a 
negative direction than in a positive one. Clearly, countries around the world need a 
revival of free society ideas and that requires a new approach.   
Atlas Network is poised to step into a leadership vacuum and to show how the ideas 
of free societies can be popularized and implemented from the bottom up.  
 
Unlike those who championed The Washington Consensus, we do not position 
ourselves as experts ready to make plans for others. We know there is no 
one-size-fits-all solution. Since each country has its own history and challenges, the 
path to freedom in one country will look different from the path in another.    
We have a decentralized model that harnesses local knowledge to solve problems. 
We have a strong team to ensure high levels of accountability and fidelity to free 
society principles that work. As a consequence, Atlas Network is better positioned 
than any organization in the world to strengthen global support for free societies 
and to achieve profound and lasting institutional change.   
 
Why Our Cause is Just and Why Our Model Works 
 
Everyone on our team should take some time to understand the core arguments that 
inform how we communicate our value proposition.   
 
1.​In free societies, the principles of individual liberty, property rights, limited 
government, and free markets are secured by the rule of law. We argue for 
free societies on a moral basis; not only do free societies respect each 
individual’s moral agency dignity as an end in itself, but they generate 
peaceful and prosperous social orders within which human beings can 
flourish.  
 
2.​The ideals of free societies are virtually universal. However, the institutions 
necessary for securing those ideals depend on local context. There is no 
single, exportable blueprint for a free society that all countries would do well 
7  
 
to adopt. Local knowledge, insights, and leadership are therefore essential to 
the cause we advance. Not only is it morally right for countries to exercise 
self-determination (rather than be subject to the designs of outside experts), 
but that is the most reliable way to discover navigable paths to securing 
liberty.   
 
3.​In free societies, non-governmental civil society organizations can play 
powerful roles in leading social change and curbing abuses of power. 
Independent think tanks especially can have a disproportionate impact on the 
shape of public policies that affect citizens at scale. Think tanks can 
popularize the ideals of free societies and advocate for institutional change 
within their own local context. Atlas Network’s strategy of aiding local 
independent think tanks is a great example of “localization” in philanthropy – 
a term for limiting the influence of outside donors, since social change should 
be led by those who will live with the results.  In those countries in which 
non-governmental civil society organizations are restricted, there is still often 
room for the spread of ideas and practices that can move them in the 
direction of greater freedom for all. 
 
4.​Of course, there is great value in sharing ideas across borders – indeed, in 
sharing on a global scale as we do at Atlas Network. Think tanks can learn 
from what has worked in other contexts. But we do not frame this as teaching 
“best practices” so much as facilitating conversations to help our partners 
discover “an ever-better fit” among potential strategies and tactics. 
 
That is the case we make for our philanthropic model.  
 
While there are useful charities that offer humanitarian and/or direct service 
solutions to the manifold symptoms of illiberalism, such as poverty, social immobility, 
persistent injustice, and cronyism, our focus gets at the root of the problem and 
carries much more promise for bringing enduring change.    
While some friends of freedom focus on getting ‘the right people elected,’ we stay 
rooted to our origin story: when approached for advice by the young World War II 
veteran Antony Fisher in 1945, Friedrich Hayek advised him not to enter politics, but 
to focus instead on nurturing the culture of ideas that define the intellectual currents 
that influence both politicians and the public.  
   
8  
 
 
We are proud of our role as principled leaders for the freedom movement. We focus 
on ideas, rather than personalities, and on principles, rather than politics.  We set our 
strategic priorities without regard to culture wars, political pressure, or other 
interests and sentiments among donors or potential donors. Atlas Network’s 
steadiness, clarity, and conviction reassures donors of our constancy of purpose and 
lends courage and resolve to partners in the network, who maintain their 
independence and who work in principled fashion for the advance of free societies.   
 
How We Accelerate Success within the Freedom Movement 
 
We use the phrase “the freedom movement” as a short-hand term for the 
community of people who devote time and resources to solving social problems 
through the expansion of human liberty.
1
   
 
Our Coach, Compete, Celebrate
®
 strategy for accelerating success within the 
freedom movement is informed by insights from social psychology and literature on 
innovation diffusion.
2
  
 
We make it easy to discern what 
strategies are working within our 
network, so organizations can prepare 
themselves for success.   
We incentivize groups to develop 
innovative projects and we allocate our 
scarce funds to let them give it a go.  
 
We put a spotlight on big successes so 
that they fuel even bigger ambitions in the 
ranks of the freedom movement.  
2
 Our thinking has been especially informed by Eric Abrahamson and Lori Rosenkopf’s “Social 
Network Effects on the Extent of Innovation Diffusion: A Computer Simulation
” (Organization Science, 
Vol. 8, No. 3 (May - Jun., 1997), pp. 289-309.) 
 
1
 Atlas Network published a monograph, “The Freedom Movement,” to provide an overview of the 
history of and contemporary challenges to this community. 
 
9  
 
This strategy is powerful because it rests on a central, but often overlooked, fact: 
non-profit leaders have trouble assessing their own performance. They don’t receive  
the profit and loss signals that provide clarity to leaders in the private sector. Giving 
them a sense of “relative position” (a sense of how they rank among peers) 
motivates leaders to aim higher and to work smarter.    
 
Those who work for freedom outside the orbit of Atlas Network may perceive 
themselves as big fish because they operate in a small pond. Our strategy pulls the 
freedom movement’s leaders into a bigger pond of high-performing peers to 
motivate them to pursue more ambitious goals and be better prepared to achieve 
them. 
 
WHAT ATLAS NETWORK WILL LOOK LIKE  
WHEN ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE IN DECEMBER 2028 
 
PROGRAMS (COACH, COMPETE, CELEBRATE) 
 
All of our programs support the Coach, Compete, Celebrate
®
 (CCC) strategy 
explained in the preceding section. That is what makes it possible for our lean team 
at Atlas Network to motivate great achievements among hundreds of independent 
partner organizations.    
Our programs work together to raise expectations around what excellence means 
for our community. This is a consequence of our direct services, which also deliver 
indirect (or second order) effects. We set high standards and then invite friendly 
competition to award opportunities to the highest performers in the network.  
Importantly, we do not set out to provide all organizations with everything they want 
or need. The most important reason we do not aspire to do this is it does not work.
3
 
What is key to our partners’ success is their own entrepreneurial ambitions to 
increase capacity, excellence, and impact.  
Our programs all have the following strategic elements: 
3
 See the Final Report of the Think Tank Initiative. 
10  
 
1.​Self-selection: We reward partners who make an effort to participate in our 
programs, demonstrating some “skin in the game” with regard to the freedom 
movement.  
2.​Differentiation: We put a fine point on top performers (without denigrating 
those still working to achieve high performance). 
3.​Network building: We create peer relationships across the network, which 
become critical infrastructure for accelerating the adoption of innovations 
including new standards for professional excellence. 
 
Our investment of time and resources among these partners is calibrated based on 
demonstrated promise. Organizations across the network exist at different stages. 
We have high-performing innovators; we have others striving to get to that place; 
and others lag behind, because of mistakes or simple complacency.  We expect 
movement between those stages; Atlas Network’s responsibility is to assess where 
our partners are and to invest where we see excellence, potential, and the 
willingness to learn. 
 
We are warm and respectful with all who wish to participate in our opportunities 
and we also unapologetically prioritize organizations which are: 
●​clearly aligned with Atlas Network’s mission and standards; 
●​sincerely committed to improve their effectiveness and impact; and 
●​excited to engage in our programs to learn from peers in the network.   
 
Our Programs division (CCC) functions cohesively rather than as siloed program 
areas. CCC staff share a clear understanding of the role played by each program in 
helping partners achieve excellence and work together to ensure  that each 
interaction with Atlas Network programming builds on the last. Over time, this 
system creates visible partner progression, reinforces rising standards of excellence, 
and generates credible stories of institutional growth and influence that are legible 
to partners, donors, and staff alike. 
 
By December 2028, Atlas Network can point to a growing number of organizations 
that are demonstrably stronger (more credible, more resilient, and more influential) 
because of their engagement with CCC. To substantiate this, we observe Smart Bets 
11  
 
grantees excelling in the metrics that matter most to them, and offering praise for 
our programs. When Smart Bets grantees reach new levels of excellence, it creates 
pathways for and expectations of achievement elsewhere in our network as well. 
 
The CCC division has implemented sophisticated systems that allow our work to 
scale. This is how we accelerate success within a decentralized network while 
preserving independence and entrepreneurial initiative.   
 
Coach 
 
Our Atlas Network Academy (ANA) delivers transformational learning and personal 
growth experiences for staff of our partner organizations. As a result of their 
participation in ANA, they value their peers in the freedom movement.  
 
Our team creates spaces in which participants engage their peers with vulnerability, 
curiosity, and enthusiasm for improvement.  They trust Atlas Network staff enough 
to provide in-the-moment feedback and open up about their challenges. As a result, 
we can meaningfully adapt ANA programs to serve participants in ever more 
meaningful ways. Participants return home equipped to make concrete positive 
changes for their organization; their contributions are so valued, it increases 
enthusiasm to include a larger proportion of staff to ANA programs. 
 
Atlas Network Partner Consulting (ANPC) helps organizations in our network take 
on their biggest and thorniest challenges.  Despite the power dynamic that is 
inherent in our donor role, we earn and preserve the trust of our partners, while 
encouraging them to take responsibility for the results of their engagements with 
Atlas Network. Systems and processes for the pipeline into consulting, and for the 
next steps afterward, are seamless and efficient. Key learnings from consulting 
experiences are used to inform Atlas Network’s broader understanding of our 
partners’ challenges and opportunities. 
 
Executive level partner summits are regarded by top network talent as "can't miss" 
annual experiences for candid dialogue, transformational relationship-building, and 
professional growth that expands and accelerates impact across the movement. 
 
 
12  
 
Compete 
 
Our Grants and Awards team invites partners to demonstrate their ambition and 
their capacity to create meaningful results in the communities in which they operate. 
We believe transparent, good-natured competition through grants awards is a 
powerful way to reward excellence and to raise expectations across the network. 
We appreciate grantees’ success stories, which can be highlighted within our 
communication platforms, as well as grantees whose candor about failed projects 
creates learning opportunities for our network.   
 
Improved internal systems at Atlas Network allow regional grant managers to 
efficiently manage their portfolios while also “running alongside” key grantees with 
high-touch and difference-making support. The Grant and Awards team’s ability to 
encourage grantees outside of their comfort zone and to provide respectful 
accountability engenders trust, and helps grant applicants to achieve more than 
they thought possible. 
 
Our Network Outreach team ensures that criteria for meeting Atlas Network’s 
partnership and program participation standards are clear to internal staff.  It 
ensures those standards are understandable, consistent, and fair. It creates a sense 
of community among our partners, and broadens the bench of talent that engages 
with our network. It ensures consistent follow up on connections formed via Atlas 
Network programming, with the personalized attention that fosters long-term 
goodwill for our brand. 
 
The results of Atlas Network’s investments are so impressive that other grantmakers 
in the freedom movement seek input from our team on its approach and philosophy. 
An increasing number of donors are persuaded to give unrestricted support so that 
Atlas Network can increase its grantmaking budget from year to year.   
Celebrate  
 
The Celebrate team makes visible the power of the freedom movement 
organizations that draw energy and inspiration from Atlas Network. At our Liberty 
Forum events across the world, we recognize those leaders, organizations, and 
initiatives that most successfully  translate ideas about freedom into meaningful 
results.   
13  
 
 
Our programs amplify the most important work being done by our partners, so that 
they can be sources of inspiration for the broader network. Because our Liberty 
Forums are co-created with trusted organizations within our network, partners 
consistently rate our programs as highly relevant to their needs.    
Leaders in the freedom movement aspire to be recognized for excellence on our 
stage, because the audience is composed of high-performing peers with whom they 
feel a deep sense of camaraderie.   
 
Donors and partners alike are consistently thrilled by the professionalism, attention 
to detail, and collegiality with which our events are executed. Many organizations in 
our movement consider Atlas Network’s events as the benchmark for excellence.  
 
ADVANCEMENT (SECURING RESOURCES & STRENGTHENING THE BRAND) 
 
The two departments under Advancement – Development and MarCom – ensure 
that we have adequate funding in the short-term, and an attractive brand that will 
attract support over the long term.  
 
Development owns the task of asking for money among existing donors and “warm 
lead” prospects. MarCom uses mass communications strategies to build a pipeline of 
new donors. Both departments collaborate closely, especially regarding (a) content 
to sustain the interest of existing donors and (b) the transition of newly acquired 
donors into our house file of existing donors. 
 
Development  
 
By the end of 2028, we will celebrate our consistent annual growth in the numbers 
of donors and amount of funding that support Atlas Network’s philanthropic model.  
 
The organization is able to budget with confidence because of increased stability 
with our donor base, as a function of having increased:  
●​Our number of seven-figure donors who reliably support Atlas Network.  
●​Our middle tiers of $25k+ and six-figure donors.  
14  
 
●​Our ranks of Atlas Club members that support our general operations 
annually with $1k or more.  
●​Our Fisher Legacy Society membership.  
 
Expanded donor communications capabilities have contributed to higher retention 
rates within our various classes of donors. Our annual revenue projections have 
grown increasingly accurate, supported by stronger donor relationships and 
improved data on giving patterns and the likelihood of renewals and upgrades.     
We inspire loyalty among our most engaged donors, by demonstrating how the 
results of their support are driven by our Coach, Compete, Celebrate® strategic 
model.   
 
Many supporters now rank Atlas Network among their top philanthropic priorities, 
reflecting confidence in our governance, financial management, and results. This 
confidence continues to attract new donors and institutional partners.  
 
Our efforts to establish City Clubs (small scale events held at least annually where 
we have a critical mass of donors) have taken root in ten communities.  
 
Marketing & Communications 
 
Our Marketing & Communications (MarCom) team makes our mission and work 
understandable and inspiring for new and existing audiences. This includes the 
network-side beneficiaries of our CCC programming (e.g., partner organizations’ 
staff members, who need to be alerted to training, consulting, grant, and networking 
opportunities). But MarCom especially measures its success in how it (1) attracts 
new donors aligned with our mission, (2) strengthens confidence among first-time 
givers so that they give again, and (3) improves the retention rates of existing 
donors.   
 
The MarCom team has evolved from producing standalone content to ensuring that 
(before production begins) every important story—whether expressed through print, 
digital, events, or multimedia—is developed with a defined donor purpose 
15  
 
(acquisition, onboarding, retention, or upgrade). This discipline reduces unused 
content, eliminates last-minute repurposing, and ensures staff time is invested in 
assets that advance donor outcomes. 
MarCom focuses on a core set of story/content types (Rising Stars, Proven Leaders, 
Worthy Aims, Big Wins) that increase how audiences grasp and gain confidence in 
our work. 
We write stories on the best performing individuals in the freedom movement, and 
we draw appropriate connections to their participation in our programs. Rising Stars 
in our network have used our ANA to develop their skillsets in preparation of taking 
on ambitious new projects.  Proven Leaders are recognizable and respected faces 
within the freedom movement, whose enthusiasm for Atlas Network participation 
conveys the impact we are having. 
 
In the category of the organizations and the projects we are investing in: Worthy 
Aims represent the ambitions of grantees who are in pursuit of success but who 
often face adversity. Big Wins draw attention to significant achievements by groups 
in this network, whether in popularizing the ideas of freedom or securing 
institutional or legal changes that offer more freedom and equality under the law by 
reducing coercive authority over people’s lives.  
 
One common denominator to those four core story types is that they emphasize the 
sense of community that Atlas Network builds and within which freedom movement 
successes take place.  Having a chance to join a community of people who live with 
purpose and hope for the future is what inspires donors to prioritize engagement 
with Atlas Network as a priority in their lives.  
 
One final story type addresses Hot Topics that define our community in relationship 
to newsworthy and historically significant events. Such stories are helpful for 
attracting prospective donors and for strengthening the sense of meaning our 
donors derive from their association with Atlas Network. We maintain tight 
guardrails on what kind of Hot Topics are incorporated into our messaging, as we 
recognize that this can challenge our efforts to help Atlas Network audiences 
understand what we actually do.   
16  
 
 
In 2028, Atlas Network is proud of how its donor-facing web site, flagship magazine, 
and ad campaigns are integrated into a cohesive strategy that continues to drive 
down the cost of acquiring emails and converting those with giving capacity into 
donors.    
MarCom operates with an integrated planning process that aligns content 
production, multichannel distribution, and donor communications calendars. This 
allows the team to anticipate needs, to sequence stories intentionally across 
formats, and to coordinate with Development well in advance of major campaigns 
and donor moments. 
 
OPERATIONS [Stewarding Resources and Enabling Success]   
 
The Operations team exists to make high performance possible across the entire 
organization. We ensure that people can spend their time where it matters most: 
doing the work they were hired to do, in service of our mission. That means 
delivering systems and structures that support—not stifle—great work. When each 
team is able to operate with clarity, efficiency, and confidence, Atlas Network as a 
whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. 
 
In this way, our operations team is not simply “supporting” the mission—it is scaling 
it. We are committed to ensuring that every dollar spent, every system we build, and 
every process we maintain increases our organization’s capacity to make liberty 
stronger around the world.  
In 2028, Operations is known across Atlas Network as a high-performance, 
high-trust team that enables others to do their best work. That  is because we are 
operationally excellent and customer-service oriented—providing systems and 
processes that are intuitive, efficient, and aligned with the needs of the people who 
use them. Our colleagues do not feel burdened by our policies; they feel supported by 
our solutions. 
 
17  
 
We are stewards of trust, time, and resources. Our job is to ensure the right work 
happens with the right systems—efficiently, transparently, and in support of the 
mission. 
 
We anticipate needs, prevent bottlenecks, and minimize fire drills by staying close to 
our internal customers and continuously improving how we work. Our posture is 
proactive—not reactive. When guidance is needed, we respond with clarity, speed, 
and calm competence.  
Whether we’re supporting hiring decisions, rolling out a new software solution, or 
preparing financial reports, we bring structure that empowers. We minimize 
bureaucracy while simultaneously recognizing that thoughtful processes and 
controls are sometimes essential to protect the organization and advance the 
mission. We build systems that are trusted, flexible, and scalable. They are adopted 
by staff not out of obligation, but because they help people succeed. 
 
In 2028, all Operations reports are accurate and on time, without last-minute 
scrambles. Systems have scaled with our growth. Automations have reduced 
manual work, improved accuracy, and freed-up time for strategic focus. Our Finance 
team is forward-thinking—providing reliable, real-time financial data that helps 
leaders plan with greater clarity and make better decisions. New and existing talent 
is a good culture fit. And the culture we’ve built puts mission first, works together 
across teams, and carries out our responsibilities with humility and professionalism. 
 
In 2028, Atlas Network’s culture is defined by trust, clarity, and shared responsibility. 
People understand how their work connects to the mission; they feel respected and 
supported by their colleagues; and they are empowered to exercise judgment, to 
take initiative, and to grow. Our culture reinforces our mission by enabling people to 
do their best work with integrity and purpose. 
 
One sign of our success is the number of times that partner organizations make 
requests of our Operations team to learn how they might emulate Atlas Network. 
 
 
18  
 
CULTURE AND CHARACTER 
 
A Learning Organization 
 
Our North Star #5 reminds us how important it is for Atlas Network to exemplify 
excellence in governance, operations, financial stewardship, and culture. After all, for 
many important organizations in the world, we are their closest ally and the 
standard against which they benchmark themselves.   
Arguably, the most important thing for us to model is how to be a learning 
organization. This means having a culture marked by curiosity and ego-less 
reflection, so we see mistakes and challenges as sources of information. Being a 
learning organization requires habits to help us arrive at data-driven decisions for 
how we allocate our resources. 
 
Atlas Network embeds learning into our routines, so we regularly reflect on “what 
have we learned?” and “what do we still need to solve?”  Within our teams, we run 
small tests and pilot projects with the goal of learning from results so we can scale 
what proves effective for our team and our community.   
We make a point to share feedback and insights within and across teams. On a 
quarterly basis, we circulate notes on what surprised us, what new questions we 
have, and what new hypotheses we can test to make our work more impactful.   
Because it’s important to acknowledge missteps, we find ways to incentivize the 
sharing of errors and we show gratitude for the authentic learning that comes from 
being unembarrassed about the trial and error in which we are all engaged.  
 
Zero-Based Budgeting 
 
We connect our “learning organization habits” to a commitment to zero-based 
budgeting. Our goal here is to get clear on priorities, to strengthen accountability, 
and to learn faster about how we can fine-tune the ways in which we advance our 
mission.    
19  
 
During each annual budget cycle, programs and expenses are justified from the 
ground up – rather than having a presumption of renewal – using evidence of 
impact, learning, and alignment with our mission. Budget ownership and spending 
categories are clear, providing a framework for tracking finances, for having 
accountability for results, and for recognizing efforts that deliver a high “return on 
investment” (ROI).  
 
What we learn directly shapes how we deploy our time, money, and energy. That 
makes us excellent custodians of our donors’ dollars, as we can say with confidence 
that we are intentional in how we tie all of our efforts and all of our spending to the 
advance of our mission.   
Our budgeting system is built on clear decision rights, line-item justification, and 
cross-functional review. Program Managers own and approve the spending tied to 
their programs. Every expense is tagged to both a program and the departmental 
strategy it advances, through brief and clear documentation of purpose and 
assumptions. The budget cycle spans roughly six months to support rigorous review 
of historical spending patterns and results. We update our financial forecasts on at 
least a quarterly basis, or as soon as circumstances have a material change.  
 
We have built on the accounting restructure of 2023 to strengthen our capacities for 
cash flow management, sensitivity analysis, and multi-year forecasting. Our finance 
team provides the senior leadership team with monthly reports on budget variance 
and the status of our financial reserves.     
Building on Existing Virtues 
 
Becoming intentional in 2026 about being a learning organization that operates on 
zero-based budgeting principles added a new dimension to how we make progress 
toward our North Stars.  
 
This effort builds on existing principles, values, and behaviors that have been well 
ingrained in our culture.  This final section of the Vivid Vision calls attention to the 
20  
 
work we did at and following the 2024 staff retreat to formalize principles that we 
must constantly work to refresh.  
 
Bi-annually, we have formal reviews to make sure staff receive feedback on how 
well they are demonstrating our desired virtues and how they can continue to grow.   
 
Principle #1 
We cultivate and strive to practice the exemplary individual characteristics of 
self-awareness, agency, and authenticity. They include: 
●​Integrity – We conduct all of our relationships with the highest standards of 
honesty, transparency, and ethics. 
●​Self-Reliance – We rely on the power and resources of individual agency, 
rather than dependency on others. We empower ourselves by asking 
ourselves first what we can do differently to achieve desired change. 
 
Behaviors that belong here: 
●​ Practice a culture of candor; 
●​ Be proactive in asking leaders and partners for clarity; 
●​ Practice self-care: set boundaries and communicate them; 
●​ Value vulnerability – asking for and giving help leads to better outcomes. 
 
Principle # 2 
We consistently develop and advance our relationship skills. 
●​Humility – We recognize that achieving our mission is a team effort that 
draws on the strengths of a global network. We practice grace, authentic 
listening, and curiosity in our teamwork and collaboration. 
●​Mutual Respect & Human Dignity – We believe that different perspectives and 
ideas of our stakeholders make us stronger and better and we presume good 
will in how we interpret other’s behavior. We believe all human beings are 
entitled to live a life of freedom and choice. ●​Equal Opportunity – We believe all individuals have the right to pursue 
opportunities without coercion or violence. We take personal responsibility for 
our ambitions and seek to honor and support others in their pursuit of 
excellence and personal growth.  
Behaviors that belong here: 
●​Accept and explore diversity in all interactions; 
21  
 
●​Practice active listening and positive assertion – listen to partners and value 
their knowledge & strengths, contribute your points of view directly; Keep the 
feedback loop open – value giving and receiving feedback, see it as 
well-intentioned support, meant for learning and supportive of growth; ●​Remain curious – translate your defensiveness or assumptions about others 
into curiosity about the person, situation or point of view before reaching 
conclusions; 
●​Intentionally and consistently build relationships that work – by developing 
and using these skills and moving the trusted interaction toward collaborative 
results. 
 
Principle # 3 
We hold ourselves to high standards of achievement within a context of systems 
awareness 
 
●​Excellence – We believe in striving to improve in all we do, seeking to establish 
new standards for excellence by being entrepreneurial and innovative as we 
learn and grow continually. We honor donor generosity by practicing 
discipline and pursuing cost-effectiveness in all we do.  
Behaviors that belong here: 
●​Hold yourself to high standards; 
●​Be open with process and be open to ideas, encourage contribution, seek new 
perspectives; 
●​Interact and manage up, across, down and out of the organization as needed; 
●​Emphasize professional development - take opportunities to coach and 
mentor others while letting them “skin their knees” as well to support growth; 
Ground decisions and actions in our mission; 
●​Seek to know the landscape of a project or situation; 
●​Excellence is not perfectionism – have realistic expectations and achievable 
goals – use a best fit for the time & place model vs. only best practices. 
 
 
 
22